What to know about Yemen’s reported gains near the Bab el-Mandeb

What did Yemeni officials say the forces captured?

The officials said government-aligned forces retook Dhubab, north of the strait, and captured Bab and Hadeid on Monday, Oct. 5. They did not establish how much territory the forces hold, whether Houthi fighters have fully withdrawn, or whether positions remain contested. The Associated Press said details of the offensive could not immediately be independently verified.

Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said the operation aimed at “recovering the remaining territories” and restoring state institutions, the Associated Press reported. He also appealed for international support.

The reported gains followed Houthi advances along Yemen’s western coast in September, including the capture of Mokha and Red Sea islands. The AP account said those advances had enabled the Houthis to control the Yemeni side of the Bab el-Mandeb. On Sunday, Oct. 4, the Houthis captured Turbah, according to AP, and the Saudi-backed government announced a major operation against them.

The sequence shows why claims about the towns matter to both sides, but it does not settle the battlefield picture. The reports do not establish that government forces now control the strait’s approaches, or that they can hold the locations against further Houthi advances.

Why does the Bab el-Mandeb matter beyond Yemen?

The Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The Associated Press describes it as a major global shipping chokepoint, with 12% of global trade passing through it. Control of nearby coastline can therefore carry significance beyond the local contest between Yemeni forces.

That strategic importance should not be confused with proof of a change in maritime conditions. The coalition’s claim of air protection and the reported ground advances do not show that commercial ships have altered their routes, that traffic has resumed or that passage is now safer.

The offensive also reflects the regional alignment behind Yemen’s war: Saudi Arabia backs forces of the internationally recognized government, while the Houthis are described in the reporting as Iran-backed. That description does not establish that Iran directed the latest Houthi operations.

The United States’ role is another unresolved part of the regional picture. AP reported, citing two unnamed officials, that U.S. support included intelligence sharing, target identification and planning. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged a U.S.-Saudi defense agreement but did not provide details about coordination on this operation.

The Houthis have also made claims about attacks across the border. Euronews reported that Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted locations in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and an oil refinery in Rabigh. The report did not independently confirm those claims.

What does the renewed fighting mean for civilians?

The latest fighting has brought a heavy reported toll. Figures from the World Health Organization cited in AP and Euronews reporting put deaths at at least 959 and injuries at more than 4,200. The U.N. migration agency’s figures cited in the reports say about 174,097 people have been displaced within Yemen and more than 3,000 have fled to Djibouti.

Yemen’s health ministry, which is part of the internationally recognized government, warned that fighting had affected medical staff and facilities in Taiz province. It said facilities in coastal, western and southern parts of the province had closed or were barely functioning. The reports do not detail how the latest operation may affect access to care in the areas around the strait.

The conflict began in 2014, when Houthi forces captured Sanaa and the government was forced into exile, according to AP. A ceasefire began in 2022 and largely held until the latest escalation. In mid-July, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Sanaa airport to prevent an unauthorized Iranian flight; the AP reported that the accusation was followed by Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces. The report does not establish the Houthis’ allegation about the airport as fact.

For now, the reported capture of Dhubab, Bab and Hadeid remains an account from unnamed Yemeni officials, with witnesses describing forces entering the towns. The central questions are whether government-aligned forces hold the locations and whether the shift changes conditions for civilians or shipping; the reports have not answered either.